Leap OF Fate

Serene's incoming call cut off their conversation.

"Al," Serene answered her call while getting up from her seat and walking away from the dining table.

"How are the twins? Bryan told me what happened."

"They're safe now, a little shook but safe."

"That's good. Are you at Justin's?"

"Um..."

"That's fine, Shen. He's the children's father. After all these years, and all that has happened, don't you think it's time for the twins to know him?"

"I don't know, Al."

"Hey, it's just my ten cents, Shen. In the end, it's your call. By the way, if you have time, come down to Pine City. Susie thought it's a good idea to open a food park that features Ellis Inc.'s products. Opening is this weekend. Bring Justin, if you want."

When she came back to the dining table, the three were no longer there but were playing in the indoor pool. The twins' laughter filled the villa.

"Mom!" Pax exclaimed soon as he saw her. "Dad's teaching us to swim."

"Didn't you already know how to?" she inquired.

"Yeah, but it's fun swimming with him!"

"Yeah, mom, swim with us," Felicity chimed as she swam in her direction.

"We need to go back home, now. Come up and get changed."

"But mom, we just met Dad today," Felicity complained, her mouth pointed to a pout.

"Can't we stay with him, Mom?" Pax pleaded, his eyes glistening.

"Not today, babe. Next time, OK?"

The two felt dejected but got out of the pool. They always followed Serene's words. Justin, like his children, got out of the pool with a long face. She couldn't help but feel like the bad guy.

Justin drove them back. There was no longer a need for them to stay cooped in the hotel, so she asked him to drive them to her apartment.

The twins who sat at the back played with each other while she did her best to focus her attention away from Justin. Serene kept her eyes trained on the window, looking at the scenery outside.

She found her emotions conflicted with her thoughts. Her mind admonished her for lowering her guard towards Justin. It reminded her of the sufferings she's been through because of him. While her heart told her how she missed and loved the man in the five years, they were apart.

"I'm happy we have a dad now," Felicity told Pax.

"Me too," her son answered.

"If we did not find our Dad today, I would ask Kenny to share one of his with us. Anyway, he got two."

"Yeah. I like Uncle Bryan."

"No, Uncle Chester. He's cuter!"

"But Uncle Bryan is gentler. Remember, he stayed with us when mom was late?"

"Oh yeah. And he gave us sweets!"

Justin could not help but raise his brows as he listened to the conversation, Serene, too. She did not think that her children wanted to have a father so much. She thought she was doing well in providing them the love and attention they needed. All these years, she thought, the twins felt loved enough that they do not long to have a father in their lives.

"Do you agree with them?" Justin asked her.

"Excuse me, what?" she pretended not to understand what he said, hoping he'd drop the conversation.

"Do you agree Bryan would be a better father to them?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

Justin hated her answer. Maybe? Was she considering it? Will she pick Bryan to be the father of her children if it were possible? His grip on the steering wheel tightened the more he thought about her answer. Neither Justin nor Serene spoke throughout the trip. A veil of awkward silence enveloped them.

As soon as they got into Serene's apartment, the twins ran to their playroom. They were away for some time; they missed their sanctuary.

"Thank you for sending us. I'm afraid I cannot see you out anymore. I have a call that I cannot miss," she explained before locking herself in the study.

Her conference call lasted for an hour. As soon as it's completed, she brought the twins' snack into the playroom.

It surprised her to see Justin in

there, playing Legos with Pax while Felicity climbed on his back. The

This could have been a regular. occurrence in the twins' lives if only she and Justin did not have a falling out. The children suffered for the issues of the adults. She bit her lips

sight before her pierced her net

before going inside the room.

"I brought you snack," she said as she entered the room with a tray of cookies and juice. "Um... I didn't expect you to still be here so, I did not get you any," she said to Justin with an apologetic smile. "That's alright." he smiled back at her.

"I can share mine with Daddy, Mom." Felicity said, giving Justin a piece of her cookie.

It's surprising that her children did not need time to warm up to him at all. Felicity welcomed him into her life without hesitation. She clung to him more than she did to her. Pax, too, warmed up to Justin, but he's not as clingy as Felicity. "Alright, I'll leave you to play here then."

She turned around and went to their

room. Her work piled up after not being able to attend to them for some time. As a result, she needed to shuttle between Coast City and Pine City in the next couple of weeks to attend to both Ellis Inc.'s and her gallery's matters.

A luggage opened at her feet as she sorted the things she needed to bring.

The loud banging of the door jolted her. Her hands which folded a pair of Pax's pants hung in mid-air. Her jaws dropped and her eyes rounded as she looked at Justin and the door he slammed shut.

He closed the space between them in a few angry strides. Towering over her, his eyes which were narrowed into slits glared at her.

"Is running away the only thing you know?" He said through gritted teeth. His hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"You're hurting me! Let go," she said. Her forehead creased as she met his furious stares with her confused look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Justin released her and kicked the open luggage on the floor. "This is what I'm talking about. You're running away again."